Leeds United set to complete transfer for Germany international forward in bargain £0 deal | OneFootball

Leeds United have been reported as being close to signing the Wolfsburg striker Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer as they strengthen for the new season.

Leeds United are set to make their first signing of the summer with the imminent arrival of striker Lukas Nmecha from Wolfsburg.

The Whites need reinforcements following their return to the Premier League at the end of the 2024/25 season, but Nmecha is the first reported as being close to completion.

Leeds finished the 2024/25 season top of the Championship table, ahead of Burnley on goal difference after both clubs ran up 100 points.

With the recent trend being that newly-promoted clubs struggle upon reaching the Premier League, Leeds have a lot of work to do in the transfer market to strengthen their first-team squad for the new season.

Lukas Nmecha set to arrive at Elland Road for Leeds United on free transfer

Graham Smyth, the chief football writer at the Yorkshire Evening Post, has claimed that Leeds are closing in on their first summer signing in the form of Nmecha, and he will be a free transfer on account of his contract status with Wolfsburg.

With Nmecha's contract at Wolfsburg officially expiring on the 30th June, the seven-cap German international will not become an official United player until July 1, but Leeds are getting in there early with a pre-contract agreement to start their incoming business.

The ex-Man City forward had a somewhat of a difficult previous campaign, appearing just 19 times in the Bundesliga with injuries affecting his availability, with his best campaign in the German top flight being in 2021-22, when he found the back of the net eight times in 25 outings.

Nmecha's career has been disrupted by injury, but his quality is undoubted

Lukas Nmecha was a product of the Manchester City academy, and made two Premier League appearances for them.

He spent the rest of his time with City out on loan at other clubs, having spells in the Championship in England with Preston North End and Middlesbrough, as well as spending time in Belgium and Germany, with Anderlecht, where he worked with Vincent Kompany, and Wolfsburg.

He joined Wolfsburg on a permanent contract in the summer of 2021 upon the expiry of his contract.

Lukas has made 66 Bundesliga appearances for Wolfsburg, scoring 16 goals. He also played at every international level for England from under-16s to the under-21s, but switched allegiance to Germany in 2019 and made his full international debut for them against Liechtenstein in November 2021. He won the European under-21 Championships with Germany in 2021 and has now made seven international appearances for them.

His younger brother Felix, who now plays for Borussia Dortmund, has already followed a similar path from the Manchester City academy to Wolfsburg, and has also now played for the full Germany team, making four appearances.

Lukas Nmecha's appearances for Wolfsburg were limited last season by injury, and this has been an ongoing concern over him for several seasons now.

But his international call-ups for Germany and his Premier League appearances demonstrate that there is definite quality about him, and Daniel Farke will be hoping that he can blossom for Leeds upon his return to the Premier League for the 2025/26 season.